A Sign from the Universe
by Avery Kensington
Summary: Do you know what these bodies are? A sign. A sign from the Universe, telling us we need to solve this case, together. You don't want to let the Universe down, do you? A post-ep for 3.01. #CastleFanficMonday


_So, um… I guess you won the bet._

_Yeah. But, look, if you don't want…_

_No, no, no, you won fair and square._

_So…see you tomorrow?_

_See you tomorrow._

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Richard Castle practically bounces on his heels as he rides the elevator up to his loft. This has been a great day. In fact, this has been the _best_ day he's had in _months_. It has been so wonderful working with Beckett again: chasing leads, building theory, catching killers, and of course, shooting guns. The summer had been too long without her, away from her. He'd missed her terribly.

The Universe is righting itself. The unfortunate death of his sculptor friend has brought Castle and Beckett back together. It was so great to finally see her again. She looks good. _Really_ good. He looks forward to working side-by-side with her every day in the precinct.

And the best news_,_ she is no longer with _Demming_. He wonders how long they've been broken up. From the look on her face when he'd asked her about it in interrogation, it seems like a _very_ sore subject. He probably won't broach the topic again.

The moment he opens the door to his loft, Castle hears the bubbly laughter of his daughter. Alexis springs from the stairs where she has been seated, phone placed firmly to her ear, and flits into the study without paying any attention to her father's arrival.

Castle crosses the room to where his mother is standing in the kitchen. "Is that?" He asks Martha, pointing toward Alexis.

She nods. "Yeah. They've been on the phone for over an hour."

"So who called whom first?"

"What does it matter?" His mother states matter-of-factly. "As long as they _connected_."

_Connected_.

_Yes_. Just like him and Beckett. He smiles. The Universe is definitely correcting itself.

Castle gazes across the room at his daughter. The look on Alexis's face as she speaks to the boy on the phone is pure joy. He hopes that one day he can put that same smile on Kate Beckett's face.

And then it hits him. There is one more thing he needs to do to make things even more right.

"Mother, I need to leave for a bit. Please tell Alexis."

"Richard?"

Castle kisses his mother on the cheek and hurries out the door without giving her an answer.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

This is the first time Castle has visited Kate Beckett's new apartment. The last time he'd been to her former residence he hadn't knocked on the door. He'd broken through it and had rescued her from the fiery explosion. This time he taps on her door and hopes she is already home from work. From the sounds he can hear coming from inside, she is definitely here, and is obviously surprised to see him when she opens the door.

"Castle?" She says. "What are you doing here?"

She's been home at least long enough to change into a baggy T-shirt, leggings, and has pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. She looks so incredibly beautiful.

"There's something I need to tell you," he replies.

Kate opens the door a little wider. "Please, come in."

Castle closes the door as Kate saunters ahead of him down the hall. Castle checks out her new place as he follows her into the kitchen.

"Wow, nice," he comments.

"Thanks."

Kate picks up the cardboard Chinese takeout container and chopsticks that are sitting on the kitchen counter and discards them into the trash bin. "I just finished my dinner from _Chin's_. If I'd known you were coming, I would have saved you some."

Castle smiles at her thoughtfulness. "No, that's okay. I'm not hungry."

A bottle of wine and her half-full goblet remain on the counter. "Would you like a drink?" She asks.

"Sure," he replies.

Kate retrieves another goblet from the cupboard and fills it for Castle. She tops off her own glass and then walks over to where he is standing on the other side of the kitchen counter to hand his to him. He notes that she makes no effort to move away from him.

"So, what did you come all the way over here to tell me that couldn't wait until tomorrow, Castle?" She asks, and then takes a drink from her glass.

Castle raises his glass to his lips and takes a small sip of wine while gathering his thoughts. "First of all, thank you for letting me join you and the boys on this case. I had a lot of fun."

Kate smiles. "Well, Castle, I didn't want to let down the Universe."

Castle smiles back and raises his glass in mock toast. "I'm sure the Universe appreciates that." He takes another sip of his drink. "And thank you for letting me come back and work with you again."

"I had to," she replies smiling. "You won the bet."

Castle laughs. He can't help it. God, he's missed her. It feels so good to be in her presence again, gazing into her beautiful eyes. There were many times this past summer when he wasn't sure if he'd ever see her again. And here she is, standing right before him, waiting to hear what he has to tell her.

Kate breaks the silence. "Is that what you came here to say?"

"No." Castle pauses and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry for not calling you," he begins. He can tell that that simple statement gets her full attention. "I wanted to. Believe me. But I thought you were still with Demming and I didn't know if I could handle working with you again if it meant having to watch the two of you together. It was hard enough last spring when you started dating him."

"You were jealous." She remarks, and takes another drink of her wine.

"Of course I was jealous, Kate," he replies, trying not to raise his voice. "You had to know that I had feelings for you."

"Had?" She questions, looking a bit disappointed. "Is that why you got back together with Gina?"

"No." He pauses briefly. "I mean…I lied to you earlier. I'm not dating my ex-wife."

"You're not?"

"No."

"When did you break up?" She inquires.

"We didn't. I mean…we were never together. Not this year, anyway. That is what I needed to tell you."

Kate looks confused. "I don't understand."

Castle sets down his glass on the kitchen counter so he can give her his full attention. "Last May, right before I left the city for the Hamptons, I was _way_ behind on chapters and Gina had been hounding me to finish _Naked Heat_."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, she finally got a hold of me. She knew that I had been sulking, and had deduced that it was because of my feelings for you. She figured out that I was distraught over you seeing someone else since I'd added a new character to the book named _Schlemming_."

Kate chuckles. Castle is pleased that she is entertained by him making fun of her ex-boyfriend.

"Gina convinced me that the best thing for both of _us_," he gestures to Kate and then back to himself, "was to make a clean break. To move on and let you have the life you wanted with Demming."

"How very thoughtful of her," Kate replies sarcastically.

"So she showed up at the precinct to give me an out; to help me save face. Once we left the station, I got in my car and drove to my house in the Hamptons and she got in a cab and went…somewhere else. I don't know where, but not to the Hamptons with me. I didn't see her again until a week ago at her office."

Kate sets her wine goblet on the counter next to his and moves away from him. "So, you tricked me."

This is not the response he is expecting. "No, Kate, I didn't trick you. That was never my intention. I just wanted you to be happy. Even if it wasn't with me."

It takes her a moment to reply. And when she finally speaks, he is not prepared for her response. "Castle, I was _devastated_ when you left with her."

"Why?" He really has no clue. "You had Demming."

She gives him a doleful laugh. "_No_, I didn't."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have a confession, too," she replies. "I wasn't _with_ Tom this summer."

"You weren't?"

He'd fantasied _a lot_ about her this summer, but unfortunately most of those dreams had become nightmares when they'd ended with the fact that she was frolicking _somewhere_ with Detective Tom Demming and not with him. But in his wildest dreams he could have never imagined what she is going to say next.

"I broke up with him a few hours before your ex-wife showed up at the precinct to whisk you away to the Hamptons. I was going to say yes to your invitation to go with you Memorial Weekend."

"What?" He can't believe what he is hearing. "Kate, I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know," she replies. "You were too busy performing your little _charade_ with your ex-wife. You never even gave me the chance to tell you."

_I know that I'm not the easiest person to get to know. _

_And I don't always let on what's on my mind. _

_But this past year working with you…_

_I've had a really good time. _

_So, I'm just going to say..._

Kate had been trying to tell him that she was willing to take a chance on him, on _them_. And he'd never even given her the opportunity. There had been many times this summer that he'd thought about the last moment they'd spent together. But he had never realized that the last time they saw each other really could have been a new beginning for them.

"That's what you were trying to say…before Gina showed up." She doesn't reply. The look on her face gives him the answer he needs. "I'm so sorry, Kate." He shakes his head. "This is unbelievable"

"What is?"

"We could have spent the summer together."

"Together?" She laughs. "Who says it would have worked out between us? Clearly we don't communicate very well."

"That's not true. We communicated _very_ well earlier today when we figured out that Kitty Canary was the killer."

"You're right," she agrees. "But maybe we are just meant to be work partners and nothing else."

That thought hurts his heart. "Is that what you want?"

Kate takes a moment before she answers. "Maybe it's what the Universe wants."

He's not going to let her off that easily. "I'm not asking the Universe. I'm asking you, Kate." Castle moves closer and asks her again. "Is that what you want?"

"No," she says quietly and turns to face away from him.

Castle moves even closer and whispers in her ear. "Then what _do_ you want, Kate?"

Kate turns back toward him and answers confidently. "You."

That is all the permission he needs. Castle takes her face in his hands and closes the remaining gap between them with his lips.

Kate's lips are so soft. She tastes like wine and Moo Shu Pork and _happiness_. He can't believe that they are finally doing _this_.

Castle takes his time and kisses her slowly, reverently. He's waited what feels like a lifetime to kiss her and he wants to enjoy every second. His hand cups the back of her neck and he tips her head to give him better access.

Castle feels Kate relax into the kiss. Her fingers slide through his hair. Her tongue glides gently over his and he nips lightly at her bottom lip. She sighs into his mouth.

He wants to kiss her every day. Just like this. For the rest of his life.

After they release from the kiss, they stay wrapped together. He's grinning like the Cheshire Cat and he knows he can't hide it from her.

"What?" She asks.

"You chose me over him."

She rolls her eyes. "Seriously, Castle? Don't ruin the moment."

He tenderly brushes his hand across her cheek and she leans into his affection. "I'm so sorry, Kate. For all I put you through. If it's any consolation, I had a miserable summer."

"Yeah?" She replies. "I did too."

"But autumn is looking rather hopeful," he says.

Kate smiles. "Yes, it is."

Castle doesn't resist taking another opportunity to kiss her again. If he had his way, he'd swoop her off her feet, carry her into her bedroom, kiss her senseless, and show her just how much he loves her. But there will be plenty of time for that. Hopefully a lifetime.

They hesitantly break their kiss. He really doesn't want to let her go.

"I would love nothing more than to stand here and kiss you all night long, Kate. But I need to get home to Alexis."

"I know you do."

"And I have a very important job to get to in the morning. So…"

"So?"

"See you tomorrow?"

Kate smiles and reaches up to kiss him again, because that's what they do now. "See you tomorrow, Castle."


End file.
